A Criminal's Love
by Cakedecorator
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is walking home from work one night when she gets jumped. After courageously fighting off her attacker, she realizes that she has an audience in Cat Noir, one of Paris' most notorious criminals. He had seen the whole thing and was very impressed. But rather than hurt her, he flirts with her? What is his angle? Aged Up, Criminal Chat AU, Marichat, Rated T


**Here's a Marichat one-shot! I know I've been really into writing Lukanette lately, but it's Marichat May, so I thought I'd participate in writing for it, too.**

 **I know it could be considered a cliché by now, but this is an Aged-Up, Criminal/Super villain AU one-shot. The premise is that Marinette is walking home, and she gets jumped, but she fights her attacker off. However, she's unaware that she has an audience…**

 **Before we get started, the Miraculous don't exist in this one-shot, and neither does Ladybug. Cat Noir just _has_ the superpower "Cataclysm" whenever he's in the suit. Not sure how else to explain it. **

* * *

Paris, France. The city of lights, love, and one of the fashion capitals of the world. The town was bathed in the ink-black cover of dark, with the beautiful lights from the Eiffel Tower and many building windows in town acting as nightlights for those who were out and about in the city. Even the full moon was a guide for the night owls of Paris.

On this particular night, a young woman in her twenties was making her way home. She had hair that matched the evening's sky that went down to her shoulders. Her skin was pale like the moon, with a healthy rose blush in her face. And her eyes were the color of sapphires. She was wearing a black hoop poodle skirt with a ladybug appliqué design. She was wearing a red halter neck shirt to match and had a black jacket with red spots. The woman was also wearing black sandal wedges. She had a black nylon bag with "MDC" monogramed in red on it.

"Okay, Marinette," She said to herself. "Once you get home, eat a little bit, and then get right on to working on this new autumn line."

Marinette was just an average woman. She was working as a fashion design intern at one of Paris's top brands, Gabriel, and she was considered a fast-track employee because of her creativity in her work combined with her quick thinking whenever problems were to arise. There were rumors going around amongst the management that they were already considering ending her internship and hiring her right then and there.

Marinette was popular with her coworkers and she had many friends both in and out of the workplace. She was considered very talented by Gabriel Agreste himself, the owner of the label. Marinette had dreams of someday owning her own label, but she was still a newbie in the industry, so she had a long way to go.

"Since this is the autumn line we're talking about, maybe a few autumn leaves in the design would work with the overall color scheme..." Marinette muttered to herself. She was tempted to get her sketchbook out and draw up her ideas.

However, Marinette sensed something off with her surroundings. She looked around, but she was completely alone. But she could have sworn she heard something and kept walking. The young woman just breathed and then she kept walking down the sidewalk, but once again, there was something wrong, and she could tell.

Just then, she was grabbed from behind and dragged into a back alley. She fought back, struggling and using her bag to hit the attacker from behind. Marinette was then thrown against the wall and she was face-to-face with a hulking giant of a man, who just _reeked_ of booze, seemed sweaty, and looked like he was hungry, and _not_ for food.

 _'Gotta think!'_ Marinette thought, the adrenaline pulsing through her and wondering what her options were. She had her pepper spray in her bag and made to reach for it.

"Not a chance, sweetie," The man slurred as he grabbed one of Marinette's arms and pulled her closer. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"

Marinette shuddered, because she knew _exactly_ what he was implying. Marinette looked around and saw a lead pipe on the ground, her foot, and then her pepper spray was just in reach.

Smirking, Marinette brought her foot up and kicked her attacker where the sun did not reach, and then he stumbled back, holding his groin for a bit, while Marinette reached for her bag again. He lunged for her again, this time grabbing her shoulder and pulling her away, further down the alley. Marinette had gotten her hands on her pepper spray, and then she sprayed him right in the eyes. He screamed in pain and covered his eyes.

She held her pepper spray with one hand and then she ran to get the pipe. She then used it to smack her attacker on top of his head and then whacked him in the stomach. He fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

"That will teach you to mess around with me... Drunken idiot." Marinette taunted, breathing heavily and dropping the pipe.

Realizing the danger was over, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief and made her way to leave... When she heard a slow, amused applause coming from out of nowhere.

"Sensational. Bravo." A charming voice said, also out of nowhere.

Marinette was still holding on to her spray just in case, and she stood her ground. She reached for the pipe again, and said, "Who's there?!"

"A lady who's more than capable of fighting off knaves and bandits on her own. Now that's my idea of a princess." The same voice said.

Marinette saw two black boots coming out of the shadows, and then as the applause started to slow down and stop, someone emerged from the dark. Marinette's blood turned to water and ran colder than ice as she saw who her audience was.

Cat Noir. The most ruthless and cunning criminal _and_ super villain Paris had ever seen. Robbing banks, injuring policemen, the list went on. Oddly enough, crimes such rape and murder were not in his MO.

Marinette only read news reports about him, but she could recognize him by his getup. Skin-tight black material and gloves that had _real claws_ on them. There was a baton on his lower back and his belt was made to look like a cat's tail. His mask covered the top half of his face and ended at the tip of his nose, his green eyes were that of a cat, and he had cat ears on his head that was filled with shaggy, blonde hair.

Marinette stepped back immediately, leveling a glare on him. Of all the criminals in the city for her to run into, why, why, _why_ did it have to be _Cat Noir?!_

"You're still on edge, I see. Can't say I blame you." He said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head, almost as if he were scolding her.

Cat Noir was looking at her with _some emotion_ she had a hard time placing. But the question was: what _was_ the emotion? Either way, it made her feel shivers going up and down her back. What was he planning?

"What do you want from me?" Marinette demanded, about to grab the pipe, but then she remembered he could easily destroy it with a touch.

"Just relax," Cat Noir said, chuckling a little bit. "I overheard a scuffle going on over here while I was roof-hopping and came to check it out. You know, being a curious cat and all."

He stepped over the unconscious drunk and approached Marinette. His hands were behind him and he was smirking. Marinette took a step back, still holding on to her pepper spray in case he pounced on her.

"Don't you come any closer! If you try anything, I'll..." Marinette began, but Cat Noir merely took her free hand. He brought it up to his lips and gave her knuckles a sweet kiss.

 _'What on Earth?!'_ Marinette thought, floored. Her face went as red as a ladybug.

Here was Cat Noir, the most dangerous crook in the city, acting like a gentleman to an innocent woman?! But not just that, he was being so tender with her, much to her confusion.

Marinette yanked her hand away, about to pepper spray him in the eyes, but the black cat was swift enough that he knocked the canister out of Marinette's hand. In a panic, Marinette was about to snag the pipe, but she saw that it was gone from its spot.

"Looking for this, _belle_?" Cat Noir snickered, and Marinette whipped her head around to see that Cat Noir had her pipe in his hand. _"Cataclysm."_

In an instant, the pipe rotted away to nothing but rusted dust. Marinette realized he must have kissed her hand to distract her and nothing more. Now Marinette was defenseless. She might as well say her prayers because she was liable to be a dead girl at this moment.

"Sorry to disarm you, Mademoiselle, but there _is_ something I need from you." Cat Noir said, as he dusted his hands off and once again looked at Marinette with an expression she had a hard time placing.

"Please... Leave me alone!" Marinette begged, not sure what else to do. She could fall back on her freestyle martial arts, but she had a feeling that Cat Noir would be able to knock her onto her rear in a second.

"I mean you no harm, _ma douce._ " Cat Noir insisted, as he tenderly cupped Marinette's cheek with one of his hands and started stroking it with his thumb. Luckily it was not the hand that was known for Cat Noir's "Cataclysm," so Marinette felt _marginally_ safer. That and his hand on her face felt _nice_ , so she did not feel any need - or desire - to get his hand away from her.

"How do I know you don't want... Well, what _he_ wanted?" Marinette asked, jerking her head to the man she had fought off.

She could tell that Cat Noir did not seem to happy about that insinuation. His ears dropped in annoyance, but then they soon perked back up again after a second.

"Listen, I can attest to the fact that even criminals have standards," Cat Noir said with a sigh. "Take _me_ for example. To start with, how many news stories that cover me ever mentioned me taking hostages?"

Marinette paused. Cat Noir was right. None of the reports she had read on the news ever said anything about Cat Noir taking prisoners just to get what he wanted. In fact, aside from the cops who got in the way of his objectives, people who had nothing to do with the crime were left out of it.

"Good point." Marinette admitted, her eyes falling to the ground.

"Yeah, I don't believe in taking hostages when I rob a place. Why get bystanders involved?" Cat Noir said. "Not only that, but rape? Murder? Hell no, that's gross. I'd never stoop to _that_ level. So _chéri_ , please believe me when I say you're in no danger from me."

There was just something so sincere in what he was saying. Marinette could not help but feel a little more relaxed at his insistence that he had no intention of hurting her. However, she still tried to keep her guard up and not give in to his charm in case he was trying to trick her.

"Then what _do_ you want?" Marinette demanded, glaring him in the eyes.

Marinette could see Cat Noir's eyes go from wide and shocked to half-lidded and... Was that _affection_ she saw in them?

"Just your name." He said, a smile gracing his lips.

What? All he wanted was to know her name? Tonight was getting more and more freaky and confusing.

"My name? That's it?" Marinette asked, finding her courage to speak.

"That's all, _mon cher_." Cat Noir said simply, still stroking her face with his hand. Marinette felt _different_ having a man touch her face like this. Not different in a negative way, but the sensation was still foreign to her.

Marinette hesitated a bit, but then she sighed. If telling him what he wanted to know would get this cat to leave her be, giving him her first name was only a small thing.

"Marinette." She stated.

"Marinette, huh?" Cat Noir said, chuckling a bit and then sighing, seemingly satisfied. "Your name is adorable."

"T-Thanks..." Marinette began, averting her eyes.

 _'What's he up to? He's being so flattering, but... Is he being serious?'_ Marinette thought, daring to look at Cat Noir via her peripheral vision.

He was still looking at her with a tender, loving expression. It was like he was hit by Eros's magic arrow and wound up falling in love with her. If he was acting, he was doing a good job.

And for some reason, Marinette's heart was beating just a little faster, but not from adrenaline.

"Granted, I think I prefer calling you "Princess,"" Cat Noir said, his voice soft and sweet, causing Marinette to grow stiff. "After all, only a princess could be as beautiful as you. Hair comparable to that of this evening's sky, eyes as blue as the Seine's waters on a sunny day... Cheeks like pale pink rose petals, and lips that are the same... Only royalty can be so gorgeous."

A furious blush engulfed Marinette's cheeks, and her heart started racing a mile a minute. No one had spoken to her like that before. Was she dreaming? Because it certainly seemed like she was. However, realizing the effect Cat Noir's words were having on her, she shook her head and smacked Cat Noir's hand off her.

Cat Noir looked like he was hurt, but Marinette did not care. She was face-to-face with someone who gave officers a run for their money. No matter how much of a flatterer he was, he was still a criminal.

"Listen, this _princess_ has to get back to her _castle_ before some other _riffraff_ tries getting at her again." Marinette said, clearly telling Cat Noir to back off.

Taking the hint, Cat Noir went back a few steps, and she could have sworn the ears on his head drooped. She did not know they could do that. Seeing Cat Noir look disheartened the way he did made Marinette feel a little guilty. On the other hand, she was suspicious, too. What was his game? To play innocent so she would let her guard down so he could rob her? If that were the case, Marinette was not about to let him have what he wanted.

Spotting her pepper spray on the ground, Marinette snatched it up and put it back in her bag. She made to exit the alleyway, making sure _not_ to turn her back on what _seemed_ to be a kicked kitten.

As if remembering something, Cat Noir said, "Hold on."

"What is it now?" Marinette asked, her patience running thin.

"Shouldn't you call the cops on this guy?" Cat Noir asked, thumb-jerking to the man on the ground behind him.

Oh, right. The man who jumped her was probably going to do the same thing to some other innocent woman if she did not hand him over to the police.

"...You're right, I should." Marinette said, admitting that the criminal before her had a valid point.

She actually _should_ call the police on Cat Noir while she was at it, but he did nothing wrong in this case.

As the twosome kept their eyes locked on each other, Marinette noticed that Cat Noir's eyes relaxed and was once again looking at her with what she could only describe as love. Why was she feeling so drawn to him? Like she wanted to hear more of his compliments and feel his hands on her face again? And what did his lips...?

Marinette immediately changed the channel in her mind to avoid getting distracted.

"Well... _Au revoir pour l'instant, mon amour._ " Cat Noir said, before taking his baton off of his back and then extending it to get off the roof, and he was soon out of her sight.

He... He just left her alone? So he _was_ telling her the truth when he said he had no intention of hurting her.

Her face turned red and her heartbeat went up. In fact, her heart was thumping harder and faster as she remembered _every_ little praise he gave her _and_ the fact that he was true to his word and did not do anything to her.

Marinette refocused on the more important things. She took a picture of her attacker and sent it to the authorities so they could take care of the situation. Immediately after, she ran out of the alley and started to walk at a brisk pace to get back to her apartment.

As she kept going, the affectionate, romantic look in his face flashed before her eyes one last time, and her ears were ringing from their conversation. Then she recalled what he had said as his parting words.

 _'You've GOT to be kidding me! He told me, "bye for now, my love?!"'_ Marinette thought, befuddled that a criminal would call her "my love," right off the bat like that.

Marinette dug through her bag and took out her sketchbook. She flipped through the pages, trying to burry herself in her work to take her mind off of what had just transpired.

 _'I don't have time to be gallivanting with criminals! Especially someone as dangerous, unpredictable, handsome... Wait, what am I thinking?!'_ Marinette thought, the thoughts of what had just happened taking over her mind.

Not wanting to chance running into him again, Marinette stashed her sketchbook back in her bag and then she began to run all the way back home.

Unbeknownst to her, Cat Noir was up on another rooftop. He was watching her run off, a smitten expression on his face. He heaved a sigh and rested a hand on his cheek.

* * *

The next day at work, Marinette was in her little cube. She was working on her designs for the autumn line, but at the same time, she was struggling to focus. The previous night's occurrences were still fresh in her head, and every time she saw black, she grew stiff before recovering. What was going on with her?

But she had to admit that Cat Noir was nothing like the media portrayed him. He seemed to be proud of how she was able to hold her own and fend for herself. And the way he looked at her could only be described as smitten and impassioned. Like he was a stereotypical fairytale prince who had seen the princess - in this case, herself - for the first time.

And the way that damned stray cat spoke to her... Why did it make her so weak in the knees?! The way she had reacted to his flowery words and compliments made her blush heavily and that cat had invaded her dreams as a result. And one of those dreams just _had_ to be him without his shirt on, _didn't it_?

Was she attracted to Cat Noir? She could _not_ be swooning over some silver-tongued crook. Sure, the heart wants what it wants, but Marinette was almost _certain_ that her heart did _not_ want some mangey alley cat. And even if she _did_ , how was she to know he would not stab her in the back?

Overall, Marinette was confused about the prior evening's events, and what the implications of her interactions with Cat Noir were. Not only that, but she was running on caffeine and about three hours of sleep. How she was able to function was beyond her own understanding.

There was a knock on the wall and then Marinette turned around to see none other than Adrien Agreste, the son of her boss. The spitting image of his mother, Emilie, with his Peridot green eyes and his sunshine hair, to say his popularity with women was equitable to a flower that attracted hordes of bees was an understatement. Not just that, but he modeled for the company. Beyond seeing his face almost everywhere in the ads, Marinette did not see him around the building very much. And whenever he _was_ in, he would always go out of his way to talk to _her_ for some reason, much to the chagrin of not only Marinette herself, but to the girls who had their eyes on Adrien.

Marinette found Adrien to be a pleasant guy to spend time with, but she harbored no romantic inclination towards him. If anything, she just saw him as a friend. But that did not stop him from trying.

"Hi, Marinette." He said, shyly waving to her.

"Oh, Adrien," Marinette said, putting down her sketchbook. "What can I do for you?"

Marinette knew that Adrien did not like it when people called him "Mr. Agreste." He hated it. She was aware that it made him feel like people only saw him for his surname and the entire Agreste empire, not a normal person. Understanding this, Marinette respected his wishes and called him by name. It really made him happy, and she could tell.

"Well, you just seem a bit nervous today," Adrien said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Is there something bothering you? Wanna talk about it over lunch?"

There it was again. Almost every time Adrien noticed Marinette was acting off or something, he would invite her to lunch or dinner after work. And he always seemed to act a bit shyer and nervous whenever he did. And she could swear his cheeks would always just the slightest shade of red.

As much as she wanted to vent to _someone_ about what she experienced the previous night, talking about an encounter with Cat Noir that made her heart race to another man? That was asking for trouble.

"Um... That's very nice of you, but I..." Marinette began, not sure how to continue. It was not the first time she shot him down, but it was still odd to do it.

Almost as if sensing her troubles, Adrien changed the subject and said, "I get it. Anyway, did you manage to get some safely last night?"

Marinette paused. Could he tell that she was nervous because of what had occurred? Was he really that sharp? It did not matter whether or not that he did. She had to dodge it somehow without drawing any suspicion...

"I did. Not a single problem," Marinette said, trying to stay calm. "Certainly no run-ins with Cat Noir."

However, she slapped her hand over her mouth once she said that. Since her back was turned to Adrien, she could not see that he was smirking at her statement, as if he knew more than he was letting on.

"No run-ins with Cat Noir, huh?" Adrien said. "Well, I can understand why you'd want to avoid him at all costs. He _is_ pretty dangerous if the news is anything to go by."

Marinette merely nodded, before saying, "Excuse me, Adrien, but I got to get these designs finished. Talk to you later?"

"Okay, Bugaboo." Adrien said, using one of his nicknames he created for her.

Marinette face-palmed. Adrien had been teasing her using that nickname since they first met. As was standard for her, she was always wearing something that had a ladybug being the central theme. One her first day of work, Adrien was gawking at her, unable to say or do anything. Marinette was curious as to why he was doing so, but then he questioned whether or not she liked ladybugs. When she confirmed it, Adrien laughed and then teasingly called her "Bugaboo," and the name stuck.

"I told you not to call me that, Adrien," Marinette said, as she went back to her sketchbook. "I have to get back to work. Shouldn't you, as well?"

Adrien nodded, realizing that Marinette was right.

"Alright. So... See you later, Marinette." Adrien said, before leaving the floor.

Marinette sighed in relief. She had forgotten Cat Noir for the moment. In a way, she had to thank Adrien for the distraction. Guess being called "Bugaboo" was a lucky thing for her that day.

* * *

Adrien had retreated from the office building back to his luxury apartment. As always, the shades were drawn and the windows were locked. Once he made sure nothing was out of place, he went off to his bedroom.

Locking the door as he entered, he turned on the light and then he looked around his room. From a glance, it seemed like an average bachelor pad, albeit a more palatial one.

At his desk, Adrien had his laptop and a picture frame on the left of it. The picture frame itself held a photograph of no one else but Marinette. He smiled at the photo and sighed, completely lovesick.

"If only I could tell her how I feel. Maybe then we could go somewhere beyond the friend-zone..." Adrien said, his eyes half-lidded. "Marinette. Oh, sweet Marinette, I adore you."

He kissed the photograph.

Adrien was not the most open person in the world. He could be at ease with with friends or in the privacy of his own room. He was also a man of several secrets. The first of which was that he was completely enamored with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. When he met her on her first day at work, he was almost _certain_ than a raven-haired angel had fallen from heaven and decided to grace his undeserving self with her presence.

He was a romantic. A clichéd, cheesy romantic. And yes, he believed in love at first sight, because he was absolutely certain that was what he had experienced when he first met her. But Marinette was more than just a pretty face. Smart, talented, creative, artistic, stubborn, and steadfast in her choices. And she treated people with respect and kindness unless they did something to make her angry. Marinette was just... She was just perfect.

And for once, his rigid and robotic father understood where he was coming from. Gabriel had been young and in love once, too, so he could understand what Adrien saw in Marinette. It was why Gabriel considered her one of his best interns.

Knowing his father would approve of a romance between him and the adorable designer, Adrien always tried his best to ask Marinette out on a date, be it lunch or dinner. But for reasons unknown to him, Marinette would politely turn him down. It was so frustrating that the woman he had his heart set on did not seem to feel the same.

"At least I got to flirt with her last night. I hadn't expected her to be able to hold her own like that, though." Adrien murmured to himself, chuckling.

His feelings for Marinette were not the only thing that he kept on the DL. He went to his closet and slid the doors open to reveal Cat Noir's catsuit.

He was also the super villain and criminal Cat Noir, who would rob the snobs of Paris, tease the city's cops and sometimes hurt them, but made sure no innocents got caught in the middle. To Adrien, being a criminal was merely an outlet to escape all the expectations and the stresses of his life.

Adrien had not expected to see another side to his beloved Marinette as Cat Noir the previous eve. Like he had told her, he was just running around the rooftops just to get out and about when he heard her scream, and he recognized her voice immediately. He rushed to find her and see if she was okay, and possibly save her if he could make it in time.

Being the hopeless romantic he was, he got the truly maddening idea that if _Adrien_ could not get the girl, then maybe _Cat Noir_ could. He would come to Marinette's rescue and be her hero, thus winning her over. It would also benefit him by giving her the impression he was not the capricious alley cat that people and the mass media always made him out to be. Then, he would continue to woo her by taking her out on secret dates when he was in the suit but not committing any crime. And once he felt that the time was right to come clean, he would take off the mask and ears and tell her the truth. Hopefully, if she accepted him for it, then they could start dating as civilians and he would _not_ involve her in his activities as Cat Noir. The final step was for him to pop the question and marry her, leaving his criminal life behind for good. Then their lives would be filled with joy. Together, they would have two sons named Hugo and Louis, a daughter named Emma, a hamster, and a small house on a quiet suburban street.

Thing is, when it came to the first step of that grand plan, that rug was pulled out from under him. After all, she took the attacker down on her own. He was _so impressed_ that Marinette could defend herself, that he could not help but applaud her independence. He _had_ silently jumped into the shadow in the alley and witnessed the whole thing go down, with the intention of knocking the attacker out from the dark and then dramatically entering into the light to surprise his damsel. But revealing himself to her as a witness to her own abilities was just as effective, it seemed.

Sure, he was upset that she was a bit scared when she saw it was Cat Noir, but he understood _why_. Cat Noir was known as a monster, or at least very close to one. But the compliments he gave her, the terms of endearment, the kiss on her hand, everything he did... He meant it all with the upmost sincerity. What he would not give to be able to touch her cheek again with his bare hands instead of wearing his clawed gloves.

The way she behaved around him as Cat was different from the way she interacted Adrien. When Adrien was taking to her, she was at ease and would speak to him like friends normally would. But when he interacted with her as Cat Noir, she was more courageous and a quick thinker, not to mention more cautious around him. Again, it was justified under the circumstances.

Since the beginning stage of his plan of winning the heart of the fair princess went out the window, he had to think of something else. He tried asking her out to lunch to see if he could gauge her opinion on his criminal side in conversation, but that did not work either.

"Maybe I can get some help from Nino. He's better in situations like this," Adrien said, picking up his phone and scrolling through his contacts. He pressed on the name "Nino Lahiffe" and called him up. "I hope he isn't too busy right now..."

He was the only person who knew about his criminal side. He was a DJ that Adrien had met when he was attending a Gabriel function. Nino himself was doing his job on the DJ stand and was having a lot of fun. Not recognizing Adrien as the son of his client, Nino and Adrien were instant buddies. Nino had been there for Adrien as a great friend and confidant ever since. Nino was also the one person Adrien vented to about his feelings for Marinette. Needless to say, Nino would tire of hearing about it after a while.

Luckily for Adrien, Nino was on break for the moment, so he immediately made his way to the apartment in about five minutes flat.

"Hey dude," Nino said, walking into the bedroom. "What's going on?"

"Hey Nino," Adrien said, as the men shared their customary fist-bump. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course," Nino said, as he sat on the bed. "What's going on? Judging by your phone call, it's Marinette-related, isn't it?"

"You're right. Anyway... I got to talk to Marinette last night." Adrien said, blushing.

"Don't you talk to her _every day_?" Nino deadpanned.

"Well, _Adrien_ talks to her every day, but _Cat_ _Noir_ flirted with her for the first time last night." Adrien elaborated.

"Oh... Wait, what?! How did...?" Nino began, but Adrien put a hand up to stop him.

Adrien told him the whole story from the top.

" _Now_ I get it," Nino said, understanding Adrien's testimony. "So what are you going to do if you encounter her as Cat again? Keep flirting with her?"

"What else can I do?" Adrien said. "My entire plan of rescuing her from her attacker and then courting her had to be overhauled when she took that cretin down by herself. Sure, I got to give her the compliments about how beautiful she is. The ones I could never voice. And her reaction was so adorable that I struggled to keep myself from kissing her cheek."

"From the sound of it, it sounded like the things you said to her worked, if just a little bit." Nino said.

"Well, that's a good thing. I'm just stuck on what to do next." Adrien admitted.

"Visit her as Cat and give her flowers?" Nino joked.

"...Hey, that actually might work... Or maybe it won't," Adrien said, before sitting on his bed. " _Adrien_ knows her address because I've had to go over to her place for work reasons in the past. _Cat Noir_ , on the other hand, doesn't. If I just go into her apartment in the suit, she's going to ask questions and get freaked out."

"Don't be such a cowardly cat!" Nino insisted. "She's unlikely to give you the time of day as it is! Don't lessen your chances by not trying!"

"Okay, okay!" Adrien said, holding his hands up in surrender to calm Nino down. "I can't help but shake and be nervous... It's just that I... _Je_ _suis amoureux._ "

"I know you are, Adrien. I know you're in love." Nino said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"No kidding. What's not to love about her? She's beautiful, sweet, spunky, independent, and... *Sigh* She's just the best thing that's ever happened to me." Adrien sighed, taking up a throw pillow and hugging it as if he were hugging the girl of his dreams instead.

Nino could only laugh sardonically and then said, "You've got this, man."

Seeing that his best friend had his back, Adrien could not help but smile at him and feel the faith the DJ had in him.

"Thanks for the pick-me-up, Nino. Now I know what direction to go in for my plan. Starting tonight." Adrien said, a smirk on his face. He looked out the window of his room and saw that the sun was setting.

* * *

Marinette had gotten home from work earlier than normal this time. She decided that she needed to take a nap and hopefully clear her mind from the day's events. Nothing seemed to go wrong for her, but she felt like she needed the extra rest.

Marinette, fully rested, was now sketching designs in her book while sitting on her lounge chair out on her apartment's balcony. She was hoping that her encounter with Cat Noir would be a one-time thing. On the other hand, there was just something about him that was _so_ _charming_ that she could not help but think of him. And he was easy on the eyes, too.

She once again thought about some of the things he had said to her. Her face turned red at the memory and wondered if he did that to every girl he had encountered in similar situations.

Marinette grew a bit petulant when that possibility crossed her mind, but then remembered what she was doing.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Marinette looked in her book and saw all of her sketches and designs were inspired by Cat Noir. She face palmed, completely embarrassed that her mind wandered to the point it influenced her work. Good thing these were just fun sketches and not ones for the company.

 _'What do I do? If I DO see him again, then what happens?'_ Marinette thought, confused about her new feelings. _'What would he even WANT with me, anyway?'_

Cat Noir was a scoundrel as far as the law and society was concerned. Sure, a _debonair_ scoundrel who and made sure bystanders were not caught in the crossfire, but a scoundrel nonetheless.

Unknown to her, she was being watched from another rooftop. A pair of green eyes belonging to Cat Noir was watching her, love lacing his irises.

Marinette kept doodling in her book, trying to distract herself from thinking about the cat suited criminal.

Just then, a thump was heard from her right, and then Marinette turned around to come face-to-face with Cat Noir once more. He was looking at her the same way he did the night before, and his hands were behind his back again. Her eyes widened and she was about to scream when the handsome villain ran up and gently put a hand to her mouth.

"Please, don't scream, my Princess!" Cat Noir pleaded. He kept his other hand behind his back.

And why the _*censored*_ not?! Cat Noir, Paris' menace, was on her balcony and she did not even tell him her address! Not that any sane person _would_ , anyway.

However, realizing how gentle he was being and how his tone of voice seemed more desperate and hopeful than it was threatening and angry, combined with the fact that she did not _feel_ like she was in any danger... This made her feel like his intentions with her were good, like the night before.

Noticing she was breathing to calm herself down, Cat Noir slowly took his hand away and faced Marinette. He was giving her the same smile he had greeted her with the night before.

"For crying out loud, what are you doing here?!" Marinette asked, trying to keep her voice down. "And more importantly, how did you find my home?!"

"What can I say? This knight in shining leather found a sweet, lonely princess in her tower. Seeing her in such distress made my heart yearn to be close to her, so here I am." Cat Noir suavely said, not mentioning any other details.

Marinette was unsure of what to say in response to something as cheesy - albeit endearing - as that. She was stunned silent.

The black cat got down on one knee, still looking at her at eye level.

"I have something for you, too," Cat Noir said. "Nothing stolen, I _purromise_."

Marinette groaned at the pun, thinking it to be absolutely dreadful. She rolled her eyes and looked at Cat Noir again, as if signaling him to get on with it and then get away from her... But for some reason, she also wanted him to stay _after_ he gave her the gift.

"Considering what you were wearing last night reminded me of one, I thought, "Ladybugs like flowers, right?" So, I brought you these." Cat Noir said, before bringing his hands out from behind him.

He brought her a beautiful bouquet of red and lavender roses. There was some sprigs of baby's breath scattered in the bouquet, too. Seeing the flowers, Marinette's eyes widened in surprise and awe. She had not expected this renowned criminal to be such a romantic.

"Wow... They're beautiful." Marinette said, gently taking the flowers into her hands. The thorns were cut off and the bouquet was wrapped in white floral parchment and was tied with a red ribbon.

She gently brought the blooms closer to her face, breathing in their aroma. The scent relaxed her and made her feel better.

"I'm so glad you like them." Cat Noir said, as he once again took Marinette's hand and kissed it.

Marinette could not help but smile, pink adorning her face. This cat on her rooftop might be naughty to Paris, but towards her, he was just the sweetest kitten in the whole world. It was really hard to believe that this man, Paris' top crook, was being a gentleman to her.

There was just something about this that felt _right_ to her. Sure, he was a criminal, and she was a normal girl, but so long as she did not get involved with his criminal activities, she would be fine. However, she had to wonder: why was he flirting with her like this? What made him so attracted to her so soon? Sure, an impressive show of self-reliance was a good reason, but there had to be more to it.

"Cat Noir... What brought this on? We only met just last night," Marinette asked, as she locked her fingers with his. "Surely, you don't... _Like_ me, do you?"

Cat Noir thought to himself how ridiculous it would sound if he just admitted the entire truth right then and there. Yeah, he _absolutely adores her_ , and has felt this way since he first met her at work as Adrien. Yeah, as if _that_ would end well. It was probably best to come clean about everything later.

"I don't just _like_ you, Marinette," Cat Noir said. "In fact, it was love at first sight. That's what lavender roses mean, after all."

Marinette's blush changed from pink to red. Her mouth was gaping like a fish, completely unsure of what to say. Cat Noir kept giving her that affectionate smile he always gave her as Adrien. The same smile she failed to notice on the Sunshine Child was now painfully obvious on Cat Noir, and Marinette _liked it_.

"Wh... While I can't say the same for myself, kitty, I admit that you have a way with wooing." Marinette said, a smile coming onto her face.

Hearing this news, Cat Noir brightened. He stood and gently pulled Marinette up with his hand. He rubbed circles with his thumb over her hand and used his other hand to gently caress her face like he did the night before.

As the two young adults kept staring into each other's eyes, Marinette could not help but smile. Seeing her so happy made Cat Noir's grin widen, too.

Cat Noir moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and tilted her face up to him. He leaned in closer, a blush adorning his cheeks. Granted, it was hard to tell with his mask hiding most of the top of his face.

" _Mon amour_... May I have the honor?" Cat Noir whispered, his warm breath tickling Marinette's lips. He was asking for a kiss.

Marinette, now fully aware that she had grown sweet on this cat, was growing a little shy with him. Should she indulge him and let him kiss her?

 _'He may be a criminal, but... He's not a bad guy.'_ Marinette thought, looking at Cat Noir's eyes from beneath her lashes.

He was a crook. A super villain. A criminal. But... He was also chivalrous, charming, and so endearing. As Marinette realized that he wanted to kiss her... She was wondering if _she_ wanted to kiss _him_ just as much. Her eyes drifted to his lips for a second, before going back to his eyes.

"Well...?" Cat Noir prodded. He was getting a little skittish. He wanted his kiss and he wanted it _now_.

Marinette sighed, preparing herself mentally.

"Yes." Marinette said, ready to kiss him.

At that moment, Cat Noir's smiling lips connected with hers. Without objection from either party, they released contented moans and sighs. Still holding the flowers, Marinette wrapped her arms around Cat Noir's neck while he had one of his hands in her hair and the other around her waist.

Cat Noir then decided to be bolder and poked the bottom of her lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth and he shoved his tongue inside hers. The two continued their French kissing, with Cat Noir stroking his fingers through her soft, silky hair. He was in heaven.

Cat Noir brought his arms under Marinette's legs and lifted her up. He made it to the skylight door that led to her bedroom, and then he quickly opened it, being sure not to drop Marinette.

He climbed into the room, and gently set Marinette down on her back. He shut the skylight and then laid back down next to her.

"Marinette..." Cat Noir began, his eyes half-lidded with desire for her.

"Oh, Cat Noir..." Marinette replied, her eyes alight with love as she looked at her leather-clad cat.

Cat Noir pulled Marinette closer to him and held her in his arms, nuzzling his face in her neck before kissing it. Marinette did not seem to object. In fact, it seemed like the reality that she was making out with a cat burglar and leaving her space open to potentially getting ransacked by him was not a concern.

But he had made it clear that he had nothing but noble intentions with her, and considering what a gentleman he had been, she resigned herself to admitting that falling for him was inevitable.

"Let me get these flowers into a vase." Marinette said, as she got off her bed and walked over to her desk.

Cat Noir could only watch as she snipped about an inch off the stems before placing the blooms in a vase of cold water. He was happy that Marinette enjoyed his present to her. And just the fact that he was able to get close to her and kiss her without her being afraid of him was also a step in the right direction.

As Marinette climbed back into the bed and snuggled up against Cat, he hugged her back and once again rested his head against her shoulder.

 _'This is the happiest moment of my entire adult life.'_ Cat Noir thought, as he relaxed with his darling in his embrace.

"I know this is pretty sudden, but... _Je_ _t'aime_ , Marinette." Cat Noir whispered in her ear.

Marinette's heart stopped for a second. Her cheeks turned pink again, and she looked the criminal in his eyes. She could not detect any trace of deceit or lies in his green orbs. Hearing that roll off his tongue and feeling how gentle he was being with her, she could believe him. She just hoped she did not regret this in the future.

"I... I love you, too." Marinette admitted, as she once again let Cat Noir kiss her senseless.

The following morning at work, Marinette had a slight change to her wardrobe. Instead of red and black, she was wearing red and lavender. And Adrien noticed that she had one of the lavender roses in her hair. She was humming along to a tune and seemed to be pretty happy.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Marinette." Adrien said, as he came by her station.

"I don't have a reason _not_ to be." Marinette giggled back, as she gently stroked a petal.

"That's good," Adrien replied, smiling in triumph to himself. "Have a good day."

"Thank you." Marinette said, as she sat at her desk and decided to work on some of her designs for the day.

Seeing her so happy and wearing a piece of the present he got her, Adrien was really proud of himself. Cat Noir had done it. He had succeeded in the first step in his plan to woo Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And if the results from the previous night were anything to go by, he would be waiting at the altar for his ladybug bride sooner than he hoped.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap for this one-shot! I know it might have seemed a bit rushed, but I've never really written for Marichat before. So, please don't give me a hard time for it.**


End file.
